The invention relates to a supporting frame for a panel comprising a peripheral structure for receiving a panel such as a photovoltaic cell panel.
This supporting frame for a panel is intended, in particular, for supporting panels disposed on a wall of a building and in particular on a roof or on a façade.
In order to equip buildings such as houses with electricity generators which employ solar energy, sets of panels consisting of a plurality of photovoltaic cells are disposed, for example, on the roof of these buildings. These panels generally consist of a stack of differing layers of glass, silicon, conductors and polymers. The sides of the generally square silicon cells can be as great as 200 mm. The cells are connected in series then bonded between two sheets of glass or between one sheet of glass and differing layers of polymer. By way of example, a module having a nominal voltage of 12 V is generally constructed by connecting 36 monocrystalline or polycrystalline cells in series. These assemblies of 36 cells are then connected in parallel. 72 silicon cells are thus used in the case of a 24 V module.
These photovoltaic panels or modules are disposed on frameworks of which the uprights consist of assembled aluminium profiles which impart mechanical rigidity to them and enable them to be fixed on the roof. In addition, the panels are connected to one another and to a distribution circuit for powering electrical installations.
Generally, a plurality of panels are disposed side by side so as to form a large active surface area. It is thus necessary to provide a good seal at the joints between two adjacent frames so as to avoid infiltration of water in the event of rain or snowfall. For this purpose, seals are produced in the regions of the joint between two adjacent panels.
However, these seals are sometimes difficult to produce and do no always produce a satisfactory seal.
In addition, the aluminium frameworks are fairly bulky owing to the poor mechanical properties of this metal. In addition, they may also sometimes have unsatisfactory corrosion characteristics. Finally, they necessitate considerable labour costs for the positioning thereof and in particular for the production of the seals.
Finally, the aluminium frameworks are not always suitable for producing electrical joints between the panels of photovoltaic cells and the exterior, and in particular with the photoelectric panels supported by adjacent frameworks.